IC Safety from Protective Insurance Company
May 2015 An exclusive publication for Protective's independent contractors
The road to recovery: Reducing claim costs with return-to-work programs
People are your most valuable asset. The longer an injured worker is absent, the higher the costs will be to your business. In addition to the cost of a workers' compensation claim, your organization may experience additional indirect losses such as lost productivity time, decreased morale, increase in experience mod/premiums, even the cost of hiring and training a new worker if you must replace the injured person.
How can I manage these costs?
• Instruct workers to report all accidents immediately
Perform a thorough investigation of all incidents
• Report claims to your insurance carrier in a timely manner
• Understand how safety programs and training impact your loss costs
• Implement a formal return-to-work program
Download our guide for implementing a return-to-work program.
What is a return-to-work program?
While accident prevention is the best way to reduce overall injury costs, an effective return-to-work (RTW) or light duty program can help put you in control. A RTW program provides alternative tasks for injured workers during their recovery until they are approved by a doctor to return to their regular job responsibilities.
RTW can decrease the likelihood of lingering or fraudulent workers' compensation claims by minimizing prolonged disability expenses and speeding up recovery time. Moreover, you can retain the use of valued workers, eliminating the cost of hiring and training a replacement. Effective RTW programs can reduce overall claims costs by up to 70 percent.
Establish a written RTW program in three steps:
1. Identify preferred medical providers in your area. California business owners: Click here for specific instructions on participating in the CA Medical Provider Network (MPN).
2. Draft a policy and document the physical demands of both current job tasks and potential light duty tasks. Then discuss the formal policy with your workers.
3. Work closely with your claims adjuster and treating physician to ensure a light duty placement is appropriate and within restrictions.
If you have difficulty identifying light duty tasks in your company, consider alternative options such as modified duty off-site assignments at non-profit or charitable organizations.
Download our guide for implementing a return-to-work program. You can easily edit this Word document to customize the plan for your operation.
Don't forget! Mother's Day increases risk of accidents
Your job activities increase around Mother’s Day, which can also lead to more opportunities for injuries. In fact, our experience shows over a 50% increase in accidents during this time. You deliver every day. Make sure your most important delivery is getting yourself home safely.

 

Safety roundtables coming to a city near you!
Protective is hosting safety roundtables this month in the cities listed below. You’ll receive hands-on training to help you develop a safety program for your drivers based on the top losses we see annually.
Monday, May 18 – Kansas City, MO
Wednesday, May 20 – Alexandria, VA
For more information, contact our Loss Prevention Department at lossprevention@protectiveinsurance.com or 800-644-5501 ext. 7341.

 

New features available on the Protective mobile app!
The Protective mobile app now makes it easy to view the status of claims, find in-network medical providers and more. Click to download or update for iPhone or Android today!
Download for iPhone >>
Download for Android >>
Protective mobile app
Note: Not all features are available to all customers. Please refer to the app's description in the App Store or Google Play for full details.